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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26637127">Back to Back</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/tshjortile/pseuds/tshjortile'>tshjortile</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Catra &amp; Glimmer Bonding, Catra (She-Ra) Needs a Hug, Darla (She-Ra) - Freeform, Episode: s05e05 Save The Cat, Gen, Missing Scene, space travel</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 08:21:58</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>799</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26637127</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/tshjortile/pseuds/tshjortile</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Catra seeks out Glimmer on Darla.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Catra &amp; Glimmer (She-Ra)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>"There's a first time for everything"</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Back to Back</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I've listened to "Ties that bind" from the She-Ra OST by Sunna Wehrmeijer on repeat while writing this. I wanted to write something soft, and to try on Catra's perspective for once after writing more Adora-centered character studies for a while now.<br/>This week's prompt on the LIMAMIL-Server was "There's a first time for everything", supplied by the lovely <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/FluffKills/pseuds/FluffKills">@Fluffkills</a>.<br/>@Icetor was so kind to beta read this thing. Thank you!<br/>Enjoy!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>It was quiet on the ship, apart from the occasional rustle of cables and machinery when Entrapta moved through Darla’s intestines. There was a low, regular </span>
  <em>
    <span>thump</span>
  </em>
  <span> of metal on metal, and Entrapta’s voice mumbling unintelligible words, probably into some sort of recording device. Catras ears flicked towards the ceiling as she passed Entrapta’s current hiding place.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The door that led to Darla’s main deck opened, movement-activated, as she passed it. Her steps stilled to a halt as a familiar laughter reached her ears. Adora giggle-snorted as she sparred with Bow on some mats they had found somewhere within the ship. Catra watched Adora and Bow shove each other like children, tumbling and catching each other.. They were not efficient and rather playful in their sparring. It reminded Catra of when she and the blonde had learned how to fight when they were still young.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When they were –</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Catra stilled, tail lashing nervously, ears shifting downwards, before swiftly shaking her head. Suddenly painfully aware of herself on the corridor of the ship, she stiffly continued her way. It was no good to linger on old memories.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She reached the bunk room she had not slept in once, and stared at it as if she could will it to open on it’s own. However, this door required her pressing a button on the panel, granting the inhabitants of the room an illusion of privacy. There were no locks on these doors, and neither were they needed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Officially, everyone on the ship except for Catra slept in the bunk room. She did not know whether she was supposed to move out of the brig that had begun to feel somewhat like it was hers, especially since Adora kept sneaking in to keep her company at night. It felt … safe. Catra’s fur bristled at the thought and she quickly smoothed it down with her hands before facing the door again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Catra squared her shoulders and raised her hand to knock, but decided against it. Instead, she fumbled with the button, finally hit it with more force than needed. The door opened with a quiet noise, and as she entered she wrapped her arms around herself protectively. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“… Hey”, she blurted out, ears flat on her head, heart beating rapidly fast, intently watching the floor before glancing up shyly to meet Glimmer’s eyes. Glimmer looked up, meeting her nervous gaze. Catra hesitated. “I thought we could … you know, talk”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Glimmer raised a curious brow, but did not comment on whatever went through her head. Instead, she nodded. She patted a space next to her on the mattress she was sitting on. “Sure. Do you want to sit down for a bit?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Catra hesitated. “Yeah, but”, she squinted, hoping that Glimmer would understand. “… differently? Like … like on the ship?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It took the Queen a moment to understand. She stilled, if only for a moment, before nodding, and turning her back to Catra, glancing over her shoulder invitingly. “Sure”, she quietly agreed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Catra let out a breath she did not know she had been holding. “Thanks”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>In one swift motion, she sat herself down so she could lean her back on Glimmer. She felt their muscles shift against each other through their clothing, their breathing finding a pace that worked for both of them. It was weird, sitting like this, without a force field holding them apart. Catra took a deep breath.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They remained like that for a while, getting used to each other’s shape and movements, before Glimmer spoke. “So … what did you want to talk about?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Catra looked at her hands that were propped up against her knees. “I was wondering how you were feeling”, she quietly admitted. It was silent for a moment as Glimmer tensed and relaxed against her back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know”, she finally admitted. Catra let out a shaky breath. “Yeah”, she hummed. “Me neither.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Glimmer slumped against her. There was something on her shoulder blades that tickled her back. Catra shrugged, just to get a better feeling of it, maybe to guess what was there that was different. “I never expected to be here, to talk to Bow and Adora again. To go back to Etheria”, Glimmer confessed, voice wavering.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Catra’s throat felt too tight all of a sudden. “But you’re here now”, she croaked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“All thanks to you. </span>
  <em>
    <span>You</span>
  </em>
  <span> are the reason I’m here”, Glimmer let out a long breath before turning around. Catra met her gaze, cautiously curious. “I never thanked you for it, you know”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Catra shook her head. She kept her gaze on the floor as she quietly spoke. “One good thing, remember?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Glimmer reached out to hold her hand. “Yeah”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When Catra looked up, she found the tears stinging in her eyes mirrored in Glimmer’s. “I guess there’s a first for everything, huh, Sparkles”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Feel free to check out the rest of our works for this week's prompt <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/collections/promptproject4_firsts">here</a>, or have a look what else we did for the prompt project <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/collections/promptproject">here</a>!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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